VietNamNet Bridge - The new national education system plan submitted by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) to the Prime Minister is believed to contain ‘no new thing’.

 

The new national education system plan  is believed to contain ‘no new thing’

Under the plan, the reformed national education system would comprise preschool education, general education, vocational education, higher education and continuing education.

Preschool education includes nursery schools and kindergartens. Meanwhile, general education seems to have no big changes and comprises primary education (5-year), secondary education (4-year), and high school (3-year). The primary & secondary education would last nine years and there would be only one – basic curriculum – for students.

As for high education, there would be three curricula – academic, technical-oriented, and arts/sports-oriented. 

Vocational education would be carried on three levels – primary (1-3 year), intermediate (3 year) and junior college (3-year).

Higher education includes bachelor’s, master’s degrees and doctorates. Universities would be classified into three groups - research-oriented, application-oriented and practice-oriented.

The reformed national education system would comprise preschool education, general education, vocational education, higher education and continuing education.

“I am disappointed with the new national education system” said Luong Hoai Nam, who many times made suggestions on reforming the educational system.

“Many people who advocate education reform, including me, have made a lot of suggestions on how to go. However, our opinions have been ignored,” he said.

“The new education system designed by MOET does not show any significant renovation,” he commented.

The only new point in the plan suggested by MOET, according to Nam, is the three curricula for high education – academic, technical-oriented, and arts/sports-oriented. However, the initiative is unsuitable to Vietnam and it is not the choice in countries with advanced education systems.

“Why do we force a student to learn physics, chemistry and biology until he finishes the ninth class, if he shows his aptitude in sports or arts?” he questioned.
“It is a backward education system which gives all students the same education curricula for a long period nine years,” he commented.

“It would be better to let birds learn to fly and fish learn to swim soon instead of forcing birds and fish to learn both to fly and swim,” he said.

Dao Tuan Dat, a teacher who manages a people-founded high school in Hanoi, also commented that he finds the new education system designed by MOET ‘unchanged’.

The only new thing he can find in the plan is the three choices offered to high school students. However, Dat thinks this would be difficult to be implemented.

“In fact, it always is very difficult for students to choose studies and careers for their future. Therefore, it is necessary to offer many different choices so that students can choose the right ones that fit their hobbies and capability. Meanwhile, there should be solutions allowing to change their options once they realize their previous choices are wrong,” he commented.


VNE